Thank You, Izhak Rabin

On November 4, 1995, the Prime Minister of Israel was assassinated at a peace demonstration in Tel Aviv.

When the Teachers' and Leaders' Class I teach met a few days after the assassination, we divided time, and each person had the opportunity to discharge. Here are some of the thoughts I shared at the beginning of the class:

lzhak Rabin's assassination gave an entire nation an opportunity to genuinely appreciate a leader.

It has given us a whole week (the traditional Jewish week of mourning) to stop criticizing each other.

It has given an entire nation and its leaders an opportunity to grieve openly, deeply-on TV, at home, and in public squares.

It has given those closest to us the chance to grieve old hurts.

Discharge not only heals old hurts, it is an opportunity to re-evaluate the past. It is not by chance that such mass discharge manifests itself in the most dramatic changes in public support of the peace process.

Rabin's assassination gave Arafat the opportunity to come openly to Tel Aviv, and for Hussein and other Arab leaders to come openly to Jerusalem.

It has given all of us the chance to appreciate these nations' young people and their leading role in support of peace.

It has given all of us the opportunity to be more completely human.

Lisa BlumTel Aviv, Israel

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